Strange Cases
by Trebors Voice
Summary: A mysterious vigilante arrives in Smallville. Who is he, what does he know about Clark, and what is he capable of?


Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters appearing in or tied to the show Smallville. Eddie Hyde is the only character created by me in this story.  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter One - Strange Appearances  
  
Clark stepped easily down the main street, walking past the storefronts that he knew so well. He was rather glad to live here in Smallville: it was quiet, at least most of the time. There was the occasional meteor rock "freak of the week," as Chloe liked to so eloquently put it, but they were few and far between. Lately, the only concern Clark had had was making sure he got to class on time, keeping himself from embarrassing himself in front of Lana Lang, and keeping his abilities a secret. Altogether a simple life for the offworldly youth.  
  
Clark's steps carried him to the front of the newest establishment in town, the Talon. Well, not entirely the newest. Originally, it had been the first standing movie house in Smallville. A total of two screens at the end. Nothing terribly impressive, by any standards. Still, Lana had fought hard to keep in standing, and now it was a coffee house owned by Lex Luthor.  
  
Clark was just about to knock on the front door and see if anyone was inside when he heard something. It wasn't anything much, just a light muffled sound as though someone was being kept quiet. His alien hearing picked up a sound of something being drawn, a thin sound, almost like a blade. There was whispering, coupled with whimpering.  
  
It took Clark mere seconds to discover the source of the sounds. His x-ray vision cut through the surrounding building as though he were looking through glass, picking out two skeletons, one looming over the other and menacingly waving a knife. The smaller skeleton clutched a small purse to its chest and desperately attempted to back away from its attacker.  
  
Clark glanced around, noticing that the street wasn't quite empty. As much as he wished to, his father would not be too happy if he just took off at superspeed in plain sight of a group of passing townsfolk. He began to make his way across the street as quickly as he could without arousing suspicion, heading towards the alleyway containing the scene. Before he could make it there, though, his enhanced hearing picked out a surprised intake of air, followed by an exclamation of, "What the- where did you come from!"  
  
Clark rounded the corner of the alley just in time to see a hunched figure clothed in a tattered, brown trench coat slap the switchblade out of the larger man's hand. Tousled hair waved in the breeze as a vicious-looking hand darted forward and slashed easily through the thin jacket the attacker was wearing. Clark stared at the elongated nails, appearing almost claw- like on the thin fingers that waved through the air. The figure jumped into the air and planted a solid kick directly in the face of the large man. He crumpled to the ground, revealing the form of a woman who had been cowering in the corner of the alley.  
  
Clark began to move forward, but the figure wrapped in the coat spun suddenly and crouched, a low growl escaping his lips. At the sight of the tall farm boy, a cocky grin split the long, thin face. Bushy eyebrows that topped the dark, glinting eyes moved up slightly as the figure straightened out. "Just a little late, aren't we, offworlder?" he asked in what sounded like a deep growl.  
  
Clark's brow furrowed. "What did you call me?" he asked incredulously. There was no way this odd-looking stranger could know Clark's past.  
  
"You can't fool me, stranger," the figure almost crowed as he made an astonishing leap to grab hold of the fire escape a story and a half up. Swinging up, he climbed swiftly up the side of the building, his long nails digging into the building façade. "Eddie Hyde knows the truth!" Within a second, he was over the top of the building. It took a second for Clark to snap out of his shocked state, and he immediately began to scan the building tops with his x-ray vision.  
  
There was no evidence that anyone had even been there. 


End file.
